I interned at the Asset and Wealth Management department at Goldman Sachs and worked to deliver banking, sales and trading, and asset management capabilities to all our clients. We worked to protect the accuracy and efficiency at every step of the trade.

Being an Operations Analyst at a prestigious financial institution like Goldman Sachs can lead to significant personal and professional growth. My assumptions about the industry and its capabilities underwent transformation after learning about the complexities of the industry. My initial assumptions were either too simplified or even too narrow, leading to a deeper appreciation for the intricate workings of the financial world.

Working in a high-stakes and dynamic environment like AWM can challenge one’s worldview. The exposure to various economic trends, market fluctuations, and the global interconnectedness of financial systems led to a broader perspective on how the world operates. This experience broke down preconceived notions and promoted a more nuanced understanding of the complexities and challenges faced by both the financial industry and the global economy as a whole.

In conclusion, my internship with Goldman Sachs reshaped my understanding of myself, my assumptions, and my view of the world by fostering deeper industry insights, honing professional skills, and broadening my perspective on the intricate interactions between finance and the broader global landscape.

During my internship at Goldman Sachs as an Operations Analyst in Asset and Wealth Management, several pivotal experiences contributed to a significant transformation in my understanding of both the financial industry and myself. One key event was when I was assigned to assist a senior analyst in reconciling complex investment portfolios. This task pushed me beyond my comfort zone and challenged my assumptions about the technical demands of the job. Through mentorship and collaborative problem-solving, I gained a deeper grasp of financial instruments and the meticulous attention to detail they require.

Interactions with my team and colleagues also played a pivotal role. Engaging in daily discussions, I was exposed to a diverse range of perspectives and insights into the intricacies of global markets. These interactions broadened my worldview and prompted me to reevaluate some of my preconceived notions about economic dynamics and international relations. Moreover, building relationships with mentors who shared their professional journeys and offered guidance allowed me to see the potential for growth within myself.
One of the most transformative aspects of my experience was participating in cross-functional teamwork. Collaborating with professionals from various departments to address critical client needs showcased the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. This experience reshaped my perception of problem-solving and instilled in me the importance of considering multiple angles to arrive at effective solutions. Witnessing how collective expertise could drive impactful results underscored the interconnected nature of the financial world and highlighted the role I could play in shaping it.
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In conclusion, my internship with Goldman Sachs as an Operations Analyst was marked by pivotal events, interactions, relationships, and collaborative activities that led to a profound transformation in my understanding of the financial industry and my own potential. These experiences collectively shattered preconceived notions, broadened my horizons, and instilled in me a sense of purpose to navigate the complexities of the financial landscape with confidence and adaptability.

The change and transformation I experienced during my internship at Goldman Sachs hold immense significance for my life in various dimensions. On an academic level, the insights gained about the intricacies of asset and wealth management provide a practical application of the theoretical concepts I’ve learned in my studies. This real-world exposure has deepened my understanding and allowed me to bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and industry practices. This, in turn, has fortified my academic pursuits by giving them a tangible and applicable context.

Personally, the transformation I underwent has boosted my self-confidence and adaptability. The challenges I faced and overcame during the internship have shown me that I can thrive outside of my comfort zone and navigate the complexities of a competitive industry. This newfound self-assurance extends beyond my professional life and has positively impacted various aspects of my personal growth journey. The exposure to diverse perspectives and interactions with professionals from varied backgrounds have also broadened my horizons, enhancing my empathy and understanding of different cultures and viewpoints.

In terms of my future plans, this transformation is instrumental. The skills I acquired – from technical financial know-how to effective teamwork and communication – are directly transferable to my future career aspirations in finance and beyond. The experience has reaffirmed my commitment to contributing meaningfully to the financial sector and has provided a roadmap for how to achieve that. Ultimately, this transformation serves as a cornerstone for my academic, personal, and professional goals, setting the stage for continued growth and achievement in the years ahead.

I was a security operations intern at Vertiv in Westerville, Ohio. I primarily worked on cleaning up the company’s regional firewalls with two other interns which entailed disabling/deleting unused rules, converting from port-based to application-based rules, and investigating traffic logs to determine whether rules should be altered. I also primarily worked on security operations’ runbooks and had meetings with application owners from around the globe.

I gained a lot of insight and advice of the tech industry from my knowledgeable supervisor, Mike. He also has many interesting experiences and stories, and I enjoyed hearing about them over the course of my internship. I was also unsure of what companies I should work at for the first few years of my career, and Mike suggested many, along with his reasoning, which made me feel less directionless.

I also learned that academics lay the foundation of my education, while real experience does the rest. It was also interesting to interact with a global security operations team and learn of differing security concerns in Europe and Asia. Lastly, I was able to obtain a Security+ certification which vastly expanded my knowledge of security.

My interactions with Mike allowed me to hear of his many experiences and to ask him any questions I had, work-related or not. Mike is also a big part of how me and the other two interns are able to continue working at Vertiv part-time in the fall. Along with that, he got us free tickets to a security conference in September called BSides Columbus which I am excited to attend as it is my first security conference.

I also had another mentor, Charette, who was the only other woman on the security operations team. She told me how important getting the Security+ certification was as a first step in my cybersecurity career, and shared many valuable resources with me to help me prepare and I ended up passing because of those resources. She also shared events that were happening around Columbus, specifically those hosted by women in tech and women in cybersecurity groups, so that I can get more involved in the community.

My interactions with the other two interns gave me more experience with working together on a team, and it was the first time I worked on a team in a professional setting aside from school. And, as previously mentioned, interacting with global security operations team members was interesting and insightful.

Specifically for the Security+ certification, it will advance my career because I am more likely to get interviews/hired and paid more. My studies in preparation for it also expanded my knowledge and led me to develop more specific interests in security (malware, quantum computing, machine learning, and pentesting), whereas before I was unsure of what exactly my interests were. I was also able to connect things I was learning in my studies to experiences and knowledge I gained on the job. I’ve also been wanting to get more involved in the security community, and Mike and Charette pointed me in the right direction with different conferences and events. As for the internship itself, I learned much about how different departments in a company interact with each other, different tools used by secops such as host/network-hardening/management, and the function of IT.

The main activities my internship entailed were mowing, mower maintenance; shop inventory; cleaning shop, restrooms, lots, trails; tree felling, pruning, weeding; signage painted, cleaned, created; clearing storm debris; staining benches, fences, and wooden signposts; litter pick up; roadkill disposal at Pickerington Ponds. l also interacted with patrons, encouraging safe public use of all Metroparks.

My understanding of myself and my career aspirations weren’t drastically changed in the internship, but I did confirm my work ethic and interests are aligned with my educational path currently. I was nervous about doing physical labor 40 hours/week in the heat of the summer, but when doing the same taxing work as my coworkers, it pushed me to complete all my assigned tasks to the best of my ability. This physical demand also helped me understand the importance of taking care of yourself outside of office hours in the form of healthy foods, good rest, health checks, and plenty of water.

My understanding regarding the world of Metroparks operations did change, however. While I was aware of some of the roles associated with Metroparks employees, I had little clue to the massive size of the operation- even just in Columbus. The headquarters included jobs I never knew were considered Metropark roles from logistics to marketing and outreach. In talking with my supervisor who is an assistant manager, I began to understand the massive scale at which not only Columbus, but all Metroparks operate at, beyond what patrons see in the parks themselves.

My relationships with my coworkers and superiors, as well as associated interactions, led to my feelings of confirmation for my career goals, and appreciation for the people behind the ‘behind the scenes’. My manager, Shelly, made sure we felt appreciated for our own work, but also helped us consider who makes our jobs easier. Those who ordered equipment to arrive on schedule, worked with politicians to maintain stakeholders to fund our salary, and organized the events we attend or work. The most notable aspect from my interactions with my superiors was the willingness to teach and expand employee’s knowledge as much as they requested, whether within a similar or completely different branch or even location. There was a clear sense of teamwork and collaboration that everyone seemed to practice very well.

Another transformation I noticed was my value of education and inclusiveness regarding youth and their interactions with the natural world. I have had a passion for the outdoors my whole life and in recent years of reflection, I realize how vital and powerfully impactful my childhood experiences in nature were to foster such value and respect for all living things. When I came to The Ohio State University as a freshman in 2020, I had little idea what I wanted my future career to look like. Since my time with the Metroparks, specifically through talking and attending events with naturalist employees, and coming to understand the importance of instilling values in children, I now have a vision for my life after graduation. There are many forms this vision may take, but inspiring youth to spend time in and learn about the living world around them will be a priority no matter the role.

The final transformation worth noting is my capacity for challenges and willingness to learn from mistakes. In my final few weeks at the park, I found myself relatively comfortable with my role and associated tasks. However, my supervisor suggested myself and the other intern switched roles to learn the other’s. While I was upset at first to have to start from square one again, I soon found myself smiling as I was able to complete the unfamiliar tasks. The pride of working through an issue on your own until you solve it is quite recognizable and I grew to desire more challenges. This inspired me to ask my supervisor more about the way things are done around the maintenance shop and why, which in turn led to more conversations and a great working relationship in which I learned more than I ever could have imagined.

The transformation in my understanding and appreciation regarding environmental science occupations and operations is hugely impactful in my own life, both in my career and personal values. I am not just limited to field work, and I learned I can feel fulfilled with jobs that entail difficulties and uncomfort. Also, I am motivated by children in a new way I have never experienced in which I feel responsible to inspire their own appreciation and regard for nature and natural resources. Finally, the relationships made with my coworkers and superiors have provided great insight into ‘real-world’ jobs, as well as healthy working interactions. I hope to continue my work with the conservation-geared government agencies whether this is through national or state parks, or the Metroparks, and I am confident this internship gave me a phenomenal start in my career with them.

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

My STEP project consisted of an internship at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I spent the summer living in Pittsburgh while getting the opportunity to learn about the internal operations of PNC as a Retail Lending Operations Intern.

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.

I think getting the opportunity to move away from home for the summer was a very transformative experience. I’ve lived in Ohio my whole life, so getting this opportunity to be in a new city was very interesting as I got a look into a post-college lifestyle. I got an opportunity to experience a corporate job while having a life balance in Pittsburgh. I picked up and continued new hobbies like working out and playing the guitar. I was able to see that even though a corporate job wasn’t the most exciting thing, a good outside life filled with friends and hobbies truly create a positive experience.

At my job I learned a lot in meetings which changed my view on corporate environment. I saw opportunities for growth as well as many things that was done great. This job opened my eyes to my future, which will guide me in the right direction post-graduation.

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.

Starting with the Intern summit at the beginning of the experience. Every intern for PNC in the country met in Pittsburgh for a 2-day summit where we got the chance to meet each other. This was a cool experience because I got the chance to meet many fellow interns and learn about their backgrounds. These interactions made me very excited to get started with the internship.

Following that I would say my first week in the office were very transformative. I witnessed and experienced both things I like and wasn’t a fan of. We got to be in a nice office in downtown Pittsburgh with a great view of the city. But something I noticed right away was the lack of people in the office. It was mostly all interns all week because most employees work from home a few days a week. This made me think about the real culture of the corporate world and truly switched my view up.

Then my daily interactions with my fellow interns on my team improved the experience of the internship. There was a lot of down time between meetings and projects, so interacting with my team was a great time throughout the summer. They always told us to make connections throughout our job, and not only did I make these connections, I made some friends. We even would hang out outside of work which was super cool. I saw that you spend a lot of time with your co-workers, so it’s important that when you start working that you try to socialize and create these friendships.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

This was a very significant summer for me. Working for a bank and living the corporate lifestyle stirred up a lot of feelings, both positive and negative. I would have days that would fly by because I was busy, but also would be days where I question what I’m doing and spending time on. So, with that I tried to remind myself constantly that this is a short-term experience, and even though it seems like you might not be getting a lot out of it, you are. I would say overall I’m happy I got this experience because I have a stronger ability to understand what I like in a job.

One of my goals this summer was to be myself. It sounds corny but I’ve had too many experiences where I try to be someone I’m not and shield myself. So, this summer I wanted to be professional obviously, but also act in a way that made me feel comfortable. I felt like I was successful in this and became a much better leader as a result. As it pertains to my future, I’m not quite sure what I’ll end up doing post-college. I think about it every day and it’s very scary not knowing, but I have faith that it’ll work out. I think something that is client facing like sales would be a good fit for me, but I’ll continue to search around for something that will make me happy. And at the end of the day, I want to make sure I’m content with my occupation. I realized after this summer that chasing the money isn’t worth doing something you may not like. So, with all that knowledge from my summer experience I’ll go into my senior year of college and learn as much as possible.

This summer, for my STEP project, I was fortunate to have an opportunity to participate in the Advance Internship Program at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The Advance Internship Program is designed for students going into their final year of education prior to graduation. Interns are placed on multiple client teams and complete a large volume of client work throughout their internship. For my internship, I had the opportunity to intern in PwC’s tax sector out of their New York Office. Once I began my internship, I learned that I would be working in the Asset and Wealth Management branch with a focus on Real Estate. A majority of the clients I worked with were entities that bought real assets, such as office buildings and made money leasing spaces to renters. Their goal is to eventually sell that asset for a profit.

During my internship, I was staffed on three clients, otherwise known as engagement teams. The clients I was working on varied in size and complexity, which allowed me to work on many different tasks across clients. My work was never boring because I was always learning something new, and the needs of each client were different. Therefore, each engagement presented a unique set of problems and solutions to best serve the client’s needs. Over the course of my internship, I rolled over workpapers, prepared workpapers, prepared tax returns, filled tax return extensions, and completed E&P (accumulated earnings and profits) estimates and analysis. As an intern, I was expected to learn about PwC as a firm, think critically about the big picture and how we can best serve our clients, analyze data and information, communicate concisely with confidence, and behave in an ethical manner. While all of these roles and responsibilities are important, I was repeatedly encouraged to come to work with a good attitude and a “hunger to learn”. I was constantly encouraged to ask questions and speak up if I was confused or didn’t know something. My bosses always reminded me that I am not expected to know how to do anything, I am learning and asking questions is/was never a problem. The firm created a culture of learning that allowed me to expand my accounting knowledge and my knowledge of the corporate world as a whole.

               Looking back, I feel this internship has transformed me for the better. I feel I have grown into a much more confident individual. Prior to this internship, I would repeatedly second-guess myself and would attribute my success in school to luck instead of my abilities and work ethic. However, this summer I was given many tasks that I had never done before, and I was able to complete them correctly. When my seniors would review my work, sometimes they would have comments/updates for me, but a significant portion of the time the only comment I had was “Great job! Everything looks good!” This was huge for me because I was able to figure out how to effectively complete the task at hand. The self-doubt that I usually felt after doing well on an exam or project slowly began to fade away and I began to feel this comforting sense of confidence when given a new task or challenge. Instead of feeling nervous or anxious that I would be unable to complete the task at hand, I felt confident that I could complete this task and anything else I was given. Being able to grow more confident in myself and my abilities over this summer has been a very empowering experience that has transformed me for the better. In the business world, sometimes you have to back yourself and apply for that promotion, ask for a raise, or speak up and share what is on your mind. After this internship, I feel I am better equipped to enter the professional world after graduation with this increased sense of self-confidence and self-assurance.

               My increased feeling of self-confidence can be attributed to a multitude of internal and external factors. While Manhattan is a wonderful city that I called home for the duration of my STEP project, the city is known for scams, and individuals being taken advantage of in a wide range of situations. In an effort to mitigate this risk, I had to emulate a sense of confidence when walking around the city, especially, when I was by myself. I always had to look like I knew where I was going even if I was lost and act like I knew what I was doing. That way, most people would assume I’m a local of the city and I would be less likely to fall victim to tourist traps and other common scams. After a period of time, I began to emulate this sense of confidence unconsciously and it quickly became second nature at a variety of places beyond on the sidewalk or in a subway car. Some examples are bars, restaurants, concerts, the grocery store, etc. The old saying “Fake it till you make it” is true. The confidence I embodied outside the office began to become a small but ever-growing part of my personality.

I became less concerned about if I could effectively execute the task at hand and began to place an increased level of trust in my skills and abilities. This allowed me to become a better intern over the course of my internship. I began taking on more tasks which helped alleviate the workload of others on my team. Additionally, instead of bringing a problem to my boss, I would try to reference similar problems and brainstorm some solutions on my own. Then, when I would come to them with a question or problem, I also had a set of solutions that might be helpful. This allowed me to do my job more effectively and allowed me to learn more since my senior would explain why certain solutions I proposed would not work in this particular situation.

Another reason I was able to grow more confident in myself this summer was due to the culture of the company I interned with and the people I met along the way. Over the course of my internship, I felt that the culture of the company encouraged continuous learning and growth. I was always encouraged by professionals of all levels to ask questions no matter what. The learning-focused culture allowed me to be more confident when asking questions that I may have felt stupid asking in the past. In addition to the company culture, the people I met along the way allowed me to feel comfortable and accepted in my own skin. I was then able to bring myself to work without feeling uncomfortable for any reason and focus on getting my deliverables done and learning along the way. The other interns I worked with were very friendly and kind. There was no stress or office politics. I could just be myself and we could both worry about getting our work done. Additionally, higher-ups such as Senior Managers, Directors, and Partners made themselves very accessible at work events and happy hours. I had the opportunity to see that like me, they are just normal people, and I can be them if I put in the work. Looking back, I feel that the company culture along with my increased level of confidence allowed me to learn a great deal of technical and soft skills during my internship.

The self-confidence I was able to gain over the course of my STEP Project is a total game changer for the future of my life. Being more confident in my abilities will allow me to be a better student in my last year of college and a better professional as I enter the workforce next year. As a more confident student, I will be able to study in a more efficient manner without having to feel overprepared for exams or constantly second-guessing if I know something or not. Additionally, I will most likely perform better on exams due to a reduction in test anxiety. Before exams, I would get very nervous and anxious because I was always worried that I did not study enough or study the right material. Since I am now more confident, I can relax prior to exams because I worked hard to study and prepare. Now, I just have to take the exam, which is the easiest part. As a professional, being more confident in my abilities allows me to better execute my tasks in a timely manner since I am not always second-guessing every decision. Additionally, if I am more confident in myself, I am more likely to ask for a raise if I feel I deserve it or apply for a higher-level position.

My newfound confidence will also contribute to a greater work-life balance and less stress. If I have a big exam or project, even when I am doing something fun with my friends, I regularly find myself stressing about what I still have to do. And then, my break from school or work doesn’t feel like a break at all. If I am confident that I will do well and I am confident that I can effectively prepare, those worries go away. Then, I’m able to actually take a break and enjoy time with friends and family. This will improve my mental health overall and allow me to be a better friend, sister, and daughter since I can be present with the important people in my life. Reflecting back, I feel this internship has allowed me to become a more confident student, professional, and person. Being able to trust myself and my instincts is an amazing and empowering feeling that I am grateful I was able to gain over the course of my STEP Project.

***Due to the policies of the company and the nature of a defense company, I was unable to take photos during my internship*** 

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

From May 22 to July 28, I got the opportunity to intern at Northrop Grumman, an aerospace and defense company, at their Rolling Meadows, IL location. At my internship, I was tasked with adapting a code generation tool developed for Linux to produce reusable components for Windows applications. Essentially, I moved a tool that helps auto generate code from Linux to Windows, which allowed other products at Northrop Grumman that runs on Windows to access this tool. 

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.

Before I started this internship, I was intimidated by an office setting as well as working for a defense company. I didn’t have a concept of how professional I should be during my internship since this was my first internship. On my first day, I wore business professional clothes and realized that most employees wore business casual clothes. Additionally, most of the emails and messages sent over Microsoft Teams to members of my team were not as serious as I expected them to be. Overall, I realized I didn’t need to feel intimidated and nervous about working as the atmosphere is a bit more laid back than expected. 

I also thought it would be intimidating as an Asian woman to work in a defense company since most people working in this industry are white males. Almost everyone in my team where white males and the other people of color was one of the managers and a couple interns. I’ve heard stories of workplace harassment in the defense industry since women are a minority in this industry. However, after my first week there, I realized that everyone on my team was welcoming and always gladly answered my questions despite how busy they were with their own tasks. Although workplace harassment can happen anywhere to anyone, I realized that I shouldn’t assume the worst in new environments before setting foot in the new environment.  

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.

As briefly mentioned above, receiving emails and messages over Microsoft Teams helped me be professional but not overly professional. I used to go to my parents’ offices every now and then when I was little, and all the employees seemed stiff and overly professional, so I thought it was like this everywhere. Over the course of my internship, I learned how to act in a work environment, so I am better prepared for future internships and job.  

My team members and employee resource groups (ERGs) also helped me feel welcomed in the company. I was given a navigator who is also an Asian woman, and she helped me settle into our team and the company. After I was introduced to my project, she helped set up points of contact for other members on the team who are more knowledgeable to help me. One of the team members she connected me with helped me throughout the whole internship. Although I couldn’t be added to any ERGs, I got to know about them more and was able to attend the dragon boat racing event the AAPI ERG participated in. 

Additionally, every other week we would have Lunch and Learns where interns in my department got to learn about the different projects our department worked on while eating free lunch from the company cafeteria. It was interesting to learn what projects other interns were working on, and it helped me feel welcome in the company as all the interns were there.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

This change is significant for my life since it helped me narrow down what I want for my professional goals. Before coming into this internship, I was open to working in all sorts of industries that software engineering can be applied. There were some industries like defense that I was a bit hesitant to join, but I was still open to them. After this internship, I decided that the defense industry wasn’t suitable for me. There were a lot of restricted access areas and projects that were classified that I wanted to access or know about but wasn’t allowed. In addition, although it’s amazing that I was able to contribute to the national defense of our country, I don’t like the idea that my contributions can be used in war.  

This summer I completed my STEP Signature Project while working for GE Aerospace as a Systems Engineering Hardware Intern.  I worked on a wide variety of projects working on power generation for commercial and military applications. 

My step signature project showed me what it is like to work a 9-5 job as well as see the real world applications of what I am learning in my ECE coursework.

Experiencing working a standard 9-5 job is very eye opening because it shows you how the majority of people in the US balance work and life.  College is much different from a 9-5 in the idea that there is no set amount of hours that you will work, some weeks may be more and some may be less than 40 hours. Aside from classes, there is no set time where you must do your work.  It is very independent on how you manage your time and if you do not do your work, your grade reflects that.  Work is much different in that you can expect to work 40 hours this week and you know when you are going to work those 40 hours.  In my experience, once you leave the office, you are done with work for the day.  This signature project has shown me that I enjoy the flexibility that we are given in college, but enjoy the my projects and work more in industry.  The work in industry was very independent and open-ended allowing me to choose how to solve each problem I ran into.

Another thing I learned this summer was the real life applications of my ECE coursework.  I am on the electrical engineering track so I was able to pull from my knowledge of electronics to help me design and build various circuit cards.  There are so many different applications for circuit design.  Semiconductors and circuit cards support many of the technologies that we use on a daily basis.  Most people just think of phones and laptops, but advanced electrical systems are in the car that you drive, the plane that you fly in, the AC and heating that keeps you comfortable.  On top of all these components, many custom circuit cards are designed and built in order to test the cards that will go into everyday products.  I believe our electrical systems will only become more advanced in the future as we shift to clean energy and EVs.

During my signature project I was given ownership of my projects, helpful guidance from my coworkers and I was treated fairly with deadlines on projects.

I had lots of authority on how to solve different problems in projects that I was given.  In some cases my coworkers knew the best way to solve a certain problem, but they wanted me to work through it on my own to develop my problem solving skills.  This really helped me learn the connections from my coursework to real world applications.  I had plenty of time to research, try different solutions, and no one was every mad if I failed or messed up.  

Now, if I was ever working with a sensitive piece of equipment or a dangerous level of power or even if I just did not know what to do next, my coworkers were incredibly helpful.  I had project leads that I could go to frequently if there was something that I did not understand or needed extra help with.  I was very lucky that the team that I worked on was predominantly young engineers in their early to late 20’s.  Although, I could not relate directly with them on everything, they had been in my shoes not too long ago and were very helpful if there was anything that I did not understand.

Finally, I was treated very fairly at GE and no one was ever on my back about a project or report.  Deadlines were flexible and as long as you kept in close contact with the project lead to let them know what was going on.  There were times when a project was given priority over everything else, but I never had to come in after hours or on weekends to make sure I hit a deadline.  I was very grateful for this and it was definitely a change from college where deadlines are much more strict.

This experience that I had this summer was so valuable for me because it gave me industry experience and showed me what it is like to work a 9-5 job like most of the population does.  This is very important to me because I will probably work an electrical design engineering job after I graduate from college.  I am not exactly sure where I want to work or what I want to do, but I became an engineer to help design and build clean energy systems like the hybrid engine program that GE is currently developing.  Working at GE after I graduate would be a great next step and I have applied for a return offer!

During the summer of 2023, I was living in Chicago, IL working as a Business Consulting Intern for Ernst & Young in the FSO Division I will be working 40+ hours per week, in a company within an industry which intersects business and technology. Throughout this internship, I experience ongoing professional development consisting of collaborating with team members to set goals and responsibilities, contributing ideas/ opinions, and learning how to interact with firm clients.

There were multiple internal changes of myself that took place while completing this STEP Signature Project. I think I would categorize the three types of growth I experienced into personal, social, and professional growth. The personal growth I experienced was a result of experiencing a new location and culture in Chicago. Surrounding myself with the diversity of a big city, enhanced my knowledge and diversity of thought. The social growth was a result of my internship being extremely invested in my social wellbeing. I was placed in an intern group with 10 other people that facilitated my social wellbeing. I also was pushed to network within the firm and go on “coffee chats” with my older coworkers. The professional growth was a result of knowledge I learned that apply to a professional setting. I gained an immense amount of technical experience along with client interaction tips.

There were several interactions, relationships, and activities during my STEP Signature Project that led to the transformation that I discussed in question #2. The first type of growth I would like to highlight is my personal growth. I grew tremendously in a personal sense over my time in Chicago and at EY. Most of my growth came from my exposure to experiences that were not “normal” or “comfortable” for me. These experiences resulted in me gaining a diversity of thoughts and perspectives that I did not have coming into the internship. The first experience I would like to highlight involves my living experience. My whole life I have lived in Ohio (whether that be my home-life in Cincinnati or college life in Columbus). The STEP Project helped me live within walking distance to my office, and walking to work through the city of Chicago each day was a transformative experience. Whether it was taking a subway for the first time, meeting a new person on my walks around the city, or exploring city restaurants, I learned so many new perspectives of people, culture, and food.

Another area of growth I experienced was social growth. As mentioned earlier, I grew my social skills through multiple situations the internship presented. I was placed in a social group with 10 other interns from all over the country. It was difficult to interact socially with this group of interns because I didn’t necessarily have the factors in common with them that I have had in the past (Attend Ohio State, from Cincinnati, Finance Major). Most of these people were studying different things than me and from another part of the country. However, after a couple awkward interactions, I learned how to become friends with this group of people through developing conversation starters. I also learned how to initiate group hangouts. I initiated an after-work get together with this group at a pizza place that we all had a lot of fun at. Another area I grew socially was my ability to talk to people older than me. Working as an intern at EY, it is common to go on 30 minute “coffee chats” with coworkers of all ranks and ages. Over my two months at the firm, I ended up going on over 30 of these “coffee chats” where I asked questions to get to each person, their job duties, and their experience at the firm. These coffee chats helped me develop my social skills tremendously.

My last area of growth I experienced was professional growth. Over the course of the internship, I was provided with several experiences that helped me develop a professional mindset and a professional skillset. In terms of a professional mindset, I worked on projects with a team as well as work independently to develop my sense of ownership, resourcefulness, and creativity. I see myself learning how to be a stronger team member and developing my leadership style. In terms of tangible skills, I grew my technological abilities by working with tools such as Excel, VBA Developer, Access, PowerPoint, and Forms. I did this working on Project Management projects that required data querying into excel from other sources. I automated several steps in the querying process using backend VBA Developer code. Finally, I presented the project management to clients through PowerPoints.

This growth transformation is extremely significant and valuable for my life. It has given me much clarity on my life trajectory along with developing intangibles to help me be successful in my personal and professional life. I now know that I want to live in the city of Chicago and work in the Consulting industry post-grad. After talking in “coffee-chats” with several people, I now know that I want to pursue my MBA in the next 5 years to even further my professional aspirations. Having this knowledge right now is a huge benefit because I will start studying so I can take the GMAT during my summer before my full-time job starts. I also grew in the social and professional aspects to help me be successful in my future professional goals of becoming a CFO for an environmentally friendly company. I will use the new social abilities I have learned to build stronger relationships in my future professional aspirations. I will use the skillsets I have developed to go above and beyond in my future jobs by automating their processes using coding tactics. In retrospect, this STEP Project experience has been extremely beneficial to me and has accelerated my personal, social, and professional growth tremendously, so that I can achieve my future goals.

This summer, I participated in the student nurse extern program at Cincinnati Children’s
Hospital. During this, I worked two night shifts per week from 7:00 PM until 7:00 AM. I had a
nurse who acted as my preceptor and showed me all the tasks she performs throughout the
night in the hematology/ oncology unit. Being in the college of nursing for the past two years has
given me a general glimpse into nursing. For example, what it means to be a good nurse, the
rights of medication, disease processes and more. However, spending twenty-four hours a week
on a unit with a consistent patient population was something very new to me.
I learned more than I could have ever imagined. First, I learned prioritization. When
given an assignment where each kid is sick with cancer, choosing which kid to visit first is a key
step. While sometimes the answer is obvious, other times it is necessary to use nursing
judgment. I also learned key aspects of care taking. Sometimes this was ensuring a medication
could run at the same time as a fluid. Other times, this was being able to take the extra thirty
minutes to sit with a child while their parents took a dinner break in the cafeteria. In some cases,
the child didn’t have a supportive family. At these times, it was important to ensure the patient
felt safe and as comfortable as possible. All in all, I changed as a nursing student, but also as
an individual. I learned that health is one of the most important things in life. While some cases
were extremely sad, it is important to remember how big of a role a nurse plays in one’s hospital
stay.

Working with the pediatric population is where I see myself in the future and is also the
reason I was able to see such a transformation in myself between the first and last day of my
internship. Kids are resilient. There were times when a three year old was playing, as if there
were no illnesses, while at the same time scans revealed tumors to his lungs. I understand the
importance of letting a kid be a kid, even when stuck in a hospital room.
For more, there was an instance where one patient said she was planning her funeral.
How does one respond to that statement? A twenty-one year old, who should still have so much
life to live. While I wanted to cry, she explained that everyone would wear pink. In this case, it
was important to be there to listen and realize that this patient has accepted her fate and is
trying to make the best of it. She told me I was one of the only student nurses she liked. I will
forever remember her and the statement she made to me.

Additionally, working overnight was something new to me. I was fearful to do so much as
to wake someone up when grabbing their vital signs. But this was my job. One of the things I
was allowed to do by myself was take someone’s temperature and blood pressure. But wouldn’t
they be mad if I lifted their arm and woke them up? While there were few kids that actually woke
up, the majority of the time they were not mad. In fact, this was their new normal. It was
instances like there where I recognized that doing my job is what matters. I will most definitely
come into contact with someone who gets mad about it, however, I ended the internship with no
fears of waking someone up. I would try my best to be quiet and gentle, but the important thing
was getting an accurate set of vitals.

Lastly, the relationships that I made with all of my co-workers really showed me an
example of what a unit should look like and the values that workers should have. There was not
one night that I did not hear “Do you guys need any help?” My precepting nurse was great.
Always taking the extra time to explain medications, diseases or more cancer specific content to
me. At the same time, the other nurses and charge nurses were great too. I now have an idea of
how nurses should help each other. I will be able to do this in the future.
All of these transformations are very valuable in my life as I will be entering the nursing
profession in the next year. In fact, this summer program at Cincinnati Children’s opened up the
door for me to be able to get a headstart on applying to work there as a registered nurse.
Working on the hematology/ oncology floor is not something I would have considered before this
job. However, it is now somewhere I could really see myself. In fact, Cincinnati was ranked the
number one hospital and number one oncology unit in the country. It would be an honor to work
there as a nurse.Though it is emotionally tolling, it is also rewarding. I would have a lot to learn,
in regards to oncology care, however, it is great I got valuable experience this summer to bring
with me.

My STEP signature project was an internship with CVS Health. I was a marketing intern working in influencer marketing under the Brand Strategy team. I worked 40 hours remotely for 10 weeks this summer.

This internship exposed me to the many different facets of marketing and allowed me to grow as a professional. While working for CVS Health, I was challenged by my workload and had to get out of my comfort zone frequently. From working with agencies to presenting my projects, I was able to grow in intimidating situations. I learned that I could step up to challenges and that presenting to my superiors is something that I can handle.

During my internship, I learned about the multiple facets of marketing and specifically more about brand strategy. I was able to see first-hand how companies shape their perceptions and feelings towards their brands. This experience helped me shape my goals for my future and narrow down my interests in marketing. I definitely could see myself working in brand strategy in the future.

One of the most impactful events I experienced over the summer was the CVS Corporate Internship Summit. Around 400 interns flew out to Hartford, CT where we were all able to meet and spend two days in the offices. This trip allowed me to see a large work environment firsthand, as well as interact with students from all over the country. It broadened my perspective and gave me the chance to interact with others, even in an overwhelming environment. This was another example of a situation outside of my comfort zone but allowed me to grow and improve as a professional.

One relationship that shaped me throughout the summer was with one of my managers. She was the head of the Influencer Marketing team and provided me with guidance throughout the summer. The most notable thing that I took away from our relationship was her eagerness to learn, research, and share her opinions. Every time I shared my work with her, she would give me more insight and ask great questions. She inspired me to speak up more on topics I’m interested in and to ask engaging questions during other’s presentations.

One of the most impactful interactions I had throughout the summer was with other interns. We worked on a group capstone project together, which challenged us to think outside the box and work as a team. It was a great experience to work together in the corporate world and learn the best ways to communicate. Each other their different backgrounds and ideas helped us shape a successful project together and I learned skills for working with others.

The experiences and transformation I gained from this project are extremely significant in shaping me as a professional and guiding my future decisions. It was valuable work experience and I learned so much about the corporate world. It helped me narrow down my preferred career path in marketing as well. Being exposed to so many people and business functions challenged me as well as helped me develop. As a professional, I feel much more equipped to graduate and enter the corporate world.

Personally, this project transformed me as well. I made great friends with other interns and learned about people from different backgrounds. I was put outside of my comfort zone many times and it helped me find growth in the uncomfortable. I feel so much more confident in myself knowing that I can handle intimidating situations.